July 5, 2017

Four Dems lined up to run for Congress in CD2

Democrats are lining up to run for Congress in the 2nd Congressional District in 2018. Four have already decided to take a stab at the 2nd Congressional District seat, currently held by Republican Steve Pearce.

The district has been held by Republicans for all but two years since New Mexico gained a third seat in 1983. From 2009 to 2011, Democrat Harry Teague held the seat after winning in the Democratic wave election of 2008, when Steve Pearce opted for a Senate run.

Pearce again ran for the seat in 2010 and easily defeated Teague.

Pearce is now considering a run for governor.

Gov. Susana Martinez is term-limited and cannot run for a third consecutive term as governor.

Tony Martinez, the co-founder of an Indivisible group in Las Cruces, launched his candidacy this weekend. The Indivisible group is part of a loosely-organized nationwide network that opposes President Donald Trump. Martinez grew up in southern New Mexico and moved back a few years back after spending time in the military, according to a release announcing his candidacy.

Last month, Las Cruces attorney David Baake announced his intention to run. Baake’s announcement said he graduated from Harvard Law School in 2014 and that he worked for the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental organization.

Activist Ronald Fitzherbert also announced his candidacy. Fitzherbert previously ran for a seat on the Las Cruces Public Schools Board of Education but lost, receiving just 32 out of the 759 votes cast. Fitzherbert works in risk management for a health care clinic in southern New Mexico.

Madeleine Hildebrandt of Socorro also announced her intention to run. She is a veteran of the Coast Guard.

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New Mexico’s Republican gubernatorial candidate wants the U.S. Department of Justice to hold 2016 presidential candidate and former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton accountable for an email scandal that dates back to nearly a decade ago. Without offering many details, U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, who is giving up his congressional seat to run for New Mexico governor, said in a radio interview last week he does not think the DOJ—specifically U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions—is doing enough to take Clinton to task for the way she reportedly handled classified email messages while Secretary of State.

The Libertarian Party of New Mexico filed paperwork to name former governor Gary Johnson as its nominee for U.S. Senate. The Secretary of State updated the listing of candidates to include Johnson Tuesday morning after the party filed at 9:30 on Monday, the office said.

The Libertarian Party of New Mexico filed paperwork to name former governor Gary Johnson as its nominee for U.S. Senate. The Secretary of State updated the listing of candidates to include Johnson Tuesday morning after the party filed at 9:30 on Monday, the office said.

The Democratic campaign arm that seeks to flip the House released polling Tuesday that showed the race for the 2nd Congressional District in New Mexico is close. The memo, released by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, shows Republican state Rep. Yvette Herrell leads Democratic water attorney Xochitl Torres Small 45 percent to 43 percent in the Republican-leaning district.

MCALLEN — Every afternoon, dozens of immigrant families released by the U.S. government walk three blocks from the Greyhound bus station in this South Texas border city to a migrant shelter run by Catholic Charities.

LAS CRUCES, N.M. — Groups advocating for the rights of children and families detained at the southern border are using the Freedom of Information Act to find out exactly where the Trump administration plans to build migrant detention centers on two military bases in the Southwest.

Matthew Reichbach is the editor of the NM Political Report. The former founder and editor of the NM Telegram, Matthew was also a co-founder of New Mexico FBIHOP with his brother and one of the original hires at the groundbreaking website the New Mexico Independent. Matthew has covered events such as the Democratic National Convention and Netroots Nation and formerly published, “The Morning Word,” a daily political news summary for NM Telegram and the Santa Fe Reporter.
Matthew has appeared as a panelist for the Society of Professional Journalists’ New Mexico Chapter’s panel on covering New Mexico politics and the legislature.
A native New Mexican from Rio Rancho, Matthew’s family has been in New Mexico since the 1600s.